


Morning Meeting

by BookGirlFan



Series: Children of Watership Down [4]
Category: Watership Down - Richard Adams
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Brothers, Friends as Family, Friendship, Gen, settling in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 20:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8224117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookGirlFan/pseuds/BookGirlFan
Summary: First morning at Watership.





	

**Author's Note:**

> In answer to those who have been asking me about Hannah! This was actually one of the first stories I started after finishing Downs We Go, it's just taken me this long to finish it. Procrastinating is my strong suit! 
> 
> This one occurs the very next morning after Downs We Go ends.

It seemed like only minutes after falling asleep that Hazel was woken abruptly by his bed suddenly dipping. His eyes snapping open as he shot upright, he looked around in alarm, then heard giggles coming from beside him. He fell back to the bed, closing his eyes. "Tell me it's morning," he groaned dramatically. 

He heard more giggling, then Fiver said innocently, "It's morning, Hazel."

He opened his eyes and pretended to scowl at Fiver and Pipkin, the apparent source of the giggles. "And why did you think jumping on my bed was a good way to wake me up?"

"Because you woke up." Fiver smiled sweetly at him. 

Pipkin started to look shamefaced. "Sorry, Hazel. Fiver said we could. Please don't be mad!"

At that, Hazel's reserve broke, and he laughed at them both. "I'm not mad, Pipkin, not too much, anyway. It's not the first time Fiver has woken me like that, and it likely won't be the last."

Fiver grinned at him. "Nope!"

"So you don't mind?" Pipkin asked shyly. 

"No, I don't mind. I probably would have had to get up soon anyway." He leaned closer to them. "You know who else needs to be woken up?" Two faces looked at him, eyes wide in anticipation. "Bigwig."

Their smiles turning mischievious, both boys rushed out of the room, leaving Hazel to get out of bed and hurry after them. 

Even with the scant few seconds delay he had in following, by the time he was outside the room, he could already hear Bigwig's furious shouts and the younger boys' delighted giggles. Stepping into sight, he hastily covered his smile and instead looked stern. "And what do you two think you are doing?" 

At the sight of him, Fiver let out a shriek of laugher and ran towards him, then at the last moment ducked under the his arm and ran down the hallway. Stopping just long enough to glare Pipkin into staying still, Hazel took off after his brother. He raced after Fiver, the early morning light shining on them through the tall windows. He heard Fiver clattering down the stairs, then a thud and a crash, like something heavy had fallen to the floor. 

As it turned out, something heavy had fallen to the floor, a small, fortunately unbroken vase, and Fiver was looking at it nervously, the last traces of mirth fading from his face. "Do you think I'll get in trouble?" he said hesitantly. 

Hazel bit his lip nervously, looking at the mess of flowers and water on the floor. "I don't know." Seeing how little this reassured his brother, he continued more confidently, "Mr Frith said we could stay just yesterday, he wouldn't make us leave already. It's not that big a mess. The vase didn't even break." 

"But what if it's important?" 

"Then we have to say sorry." He took Fiver's hand, and started walking down the stairs towards the kitchen, where he guessed Mr Frith was having breakfast. "C'mon Fiver, we have to tell Mr Frith." 

Fiver tugged against his grip. "Do we have to do it now?" 

"Sooner the better." 

"But what if he sends us away?" 

"Then we have more time to find somewhere else before nightfall." Fiver kept tugging. Hazel stopped, and crouched down to look him in the eyes. "Fiver, Mr Frith isn't going to send us away just over a vase." 

Fiver looked down. "But he might, and it would be my fault." 

"It wouldn't be your fault, Fiver." Hazel waited for Fiver's gaze to meet his again. "If Mr Frith won't let us stay here just because you broke a vase, then he's being mean, and we probably wouldn't want to live here anyway." He nodded decisively. 

Fiver giggled, some of the anxiety fading from his eyes. Hazel started walking again, and Fiver went along willingly. 

As they drew closer to the kitchen, both boys slowed, the sound of kitchenware clanking betraying the presence of someone. "Are you sure it will be okay?" Fiver whispered, clinging tightly to his brother. 

Hazel didn't answer him, but walked forward into the kitchen, calling hesitantly, "Mr Frith?" 

No one answered. The clanking sounds were louder than ever, and coming from the other side of the the open door in the corner. A grunt was followed by the loudest crash yet, echoed through the kitchen and causing both boys to put their hands over their ears, shying away from the noise. When they looked back, a woman was standing there, hefting the largest saucepan they'd ever seen. "Who are you two, and how did you get in here?" 

Hazel hesitantly stepped forward, keeping one eye on the enormous pan. "We were wandering, and found here, and Mr. Frith said-" 

The woman scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Mr Frith said you could stay the night and head home in the morning, I suppose? O' course he did. That man's got a soft spot for all kids, I tell ya. Goin' ta ruin him some day. Well, might as well eat some breakfast first. Sit down, sit down. I'll have something ready for ya soon." She shooed them over to the counter, and both boys, suitably cowed, obeyed.

"Do you like eggs?" she asked suddenly. 

Fiver and Hazel just stared at her, still too surprised at their eventful morning to speak. 

"I'm only askin' because ya might as well get a good breakfast before leavin'," she warned. 

Hazel decided this was the time to speak up. "Um, missus-" 

"That's Miss Hannah to ya." 

"Miss Hannah, Mr Frith said we could stay here." She didn't respond, just continued bustling around the kitchen. "For as long as we wanted. He said he liked having us here." 

This time Hannah paused, knife held in the air with a piece of onion still sticking to it. The boys watched nervously. Then Hannah shook her head and went back to her chopping board, muttering, "O' course he'd just take in a couple of boys. Probably never even thought about it. More mouths to feed, more cleanin' to do." She looked up at them, meeting their eyes with a stern gaze. "You two'll be helping with the cleanin', I hope ya know. I know what little boys are like." 

Hazel bit his lip. "There are more than two of us."

"Oh." She switched out the onions for potatoes then resumed cutting. "Are you hidin' another little brother upstairs then?" 

"How did you know we were brothers?" Fiver piped up, derailing the conversation. 

Hannah chuckled. "As soon as you two saw me, that big brother of yours pushed you behind him quick as anything. You're brothers, alright." She winked at him. "Even your hair's the same!"

While Fiver pulled down a lock of hair, examining it like he would find ' _brother of Hazel_ ' stamped on every strand, Hazel silently mused. He didn't even remember pulling Fiver behind him, he just knew that this woman was someone strange, and strangers can't be trusted. 

"Ya might as well call him down too," Hannah said, and Hazel belatedly realised he still hadn't corrected her. 

"It's not a little brother." 

"A little sister then?" Hannah shrugged, cutting the last of the potatoes. "Well, she'll still need to eat." 

"No, it's our friends," Hazel looked down, voice quieting. "They're all upstairs. They'll probably come down soon." 

"All?" Hannah's voice was soft, almost dangerous. "How many is all?" 

"There's nine of us," Hazel bravely told her. "With me and Fiver." 

Hannah's face grew red. "Nine of you! Nine new mouths to feed, and he tells me nothing! That-" Words escaped her, face rapidly darkening, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for an appropriate word. 

Pipkin chose this unfortunate moment to come tumbling into the room. 

"Pipkin!" Hazel hissed. Pipkin hurried to his side. "What are you doing here?" 

"You didn't come back." Hazel's irritation abruptly went out. "You went chasing after Fiver, and tol' me to stay there, but you never came back, so I came to find you." 

Hazel reached down and, with Fiver's assistance, helped Pipkin onto the stool beside him, both boys squished almost uncomfortably close despite Pipkin's small size. "I'm sorry, Pipkin. I hadn't thought about you waiting there for me." 

This conversation, carried out in hushed whispers, had still been enough to catch Hannah's attention, diverting her from her frustration. "So who's this?" she asked, traces of anger still in her voice. 

Pipkin's eyes grew wide. He scooted to the back of the chair, pushing Hazel forward. 

"This is Pipkin," Hazel told her.

"And I supposed he'll be needin' breakfast too, will he?" Pipkin, faced by Hannah's scrutinising look, hardly dared to nod. "Well, no one's gone hungry in my kitchen yet, and I won't be startin' now." 

Her irritation seemingly faded, Hannah turned back to making breakfast. It was only a few minutes before the smell of cooked food was drifting through the air, an irresistible temptation to the boys just waking upstairs. 

Soon there was a sound of racing feet, as the other boys came thundering down the stairs, only to stop short at the sight of a short woman with a ferocious air glaring them all into silence.

"I am making breakfast, and until I'm finished, the only words I better 'ear out of ya are 'Yes, Miss Hannah. Is that clear?" 

A couple of the boys gulped. They all, even Bigwig and Silver who could see over the top of her head, meekly replied, "Yes, Miss Hannah." 

She nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now go take a seat, and one of you can grab some plates from the cupboard, if you can do it without breakin' 'em." 

A curiously silent scuffling match broke out, each of the boys determined not to be the one forced into the kitchen with the volatile Miss Hannah. Strawberry lost. He slumped into the kitchen, brushing out his clothes and glowering back at the others. Fiver, Hazel and Pipkin watched amusedly, secure in their seats, as Strawberry looked bewilderedly around the kitchen. 

Hazel started as Silver tapped him on the shoulder. _Cowslip's horror house_ , he mouthed. With that, it suddenly made sense. There hadn't been a kitchen at that place, or at least if there had, Hazel hadn't seen it. From what Cowslip had said, all their food was delivered, so no one had to cook. Who knew how long it had been since Strawberry was last in a kitchen? 

He made to move from his seat and help Strawberry, but found that Silver was already there, showing the younger boy where to find the plates, and then carrying the majority himself. The sight made Hazel smile. Silver was rather reserved usually, from what little he knew of the older boy, so it was good to see him being friendly, even more so that it was to Strawberry, who was so new to their group. 

"Grab a plate, boys, and I'll serve ya some breakfast." For the second time that morning, Hannah's voice broke Hazel out of his thoughts. "Only take what you'll eat, mind. There's no wasted food in my kitchen!" 

"I think we could eat all of it, Miss Hannah," Dandelion murmured, flashing her a brilliant smile when she turned in his direction. 

Emboldened by Hannah's lack of rebuke, Acorn joined in. "I haven't seen this much food in years!" 

"Get in line, boys," Bigwig called sternly. "Let's have some order here." 

"And I'm guessing you think you'll go first?" Strawberry asked, still irritated at being the one to carry the plates in. 

Before Bigwig could answer, Blackberry chimed in. "Hazel, Fiver and Pipkin were here first, they should go first." 

Fiver and Pipkin cheered, dragging Hazel with them to the front of the line before he could even think of protesting, the others falling into place behind them. The line moved quickly, each of the boys taking heaping platefuls of the steaming hot dishes, thrilled at the sight of so much food after so long without. 

It only took minutes for the kitchen to be silent but for the sound of chewing and cutlery scraping against plates. 

Finally, Fiver pushed his plate away. "I don't think I could eat another bite!" 

"Me neither," Pipkin echoed, also pushing away his plate. 

"Good!" Hannah called from the kitchen. "Might put some meat on those skinny bones of yours! Now if you're all done, come in here and starting washing these plates." Both boys hastily did as they were told. 

"If you're going to be hanging around," Hannah muttered loud enough for all of them to hear, "might as well get some good work out of ya!" 

Hazel smiled. Maybe they really could stay here after all.


End file.
